IMDb > King Arthur (2004)
King Arthur
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King Arthur (2004) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 65 | slideshow) Videos (see all 10)
King Arthur (2004) -- Director's Cut TV Post
King Arthur (2004) -- US Home Video Trailer from Buena Vista Pictures
King Arthur (2004) -- A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
King Arthur (2004) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   48,411 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
David Franzoni (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for King Arthur on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 July 2004 (USA) more
Tagline:
Rule Your Fate more
Plot:
A demystified take on the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
3 wins & 7 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(160 articles)
'Thor' Gets 'The Office' Actor as the Guardian of Asgard
 (From Aceshowbiz. 20 November 2009, 1:10 AM, PST)

Antoine Fuqua, Spike Lee Together on 'Miss'
 (From CinemaSpy. 18 November 2009, 11:10 PM, PST)

User Comments:
The realism behind the magic more (840 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
King Arthur: Director's Cut (USA) (DVD title (director's cut))
Knights of the Roundtable (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences, a scene of sensuality and some language.
Runtime:
126 min | USA:142 min (director's cut)
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:13+ (Quebec) (director's cut) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 (director's cut) | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Australia:M (Video rating) | USA:PG-13 (original rating) (certificate #40970) | Canada:G (re-rating) | New Zealand:M | Spain:18 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA (director's cut) | Australia:M (original rating) | Canada:14A (director's cut) | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-11 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (director's cut) | France:U (director's cut) | Germany:12 (original rating) | Germany:16 (director's cut) | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 (director's cut) | Spain:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2004) | UK:15 (director's cut) | USA:Open (director's cut) (rating surrendered) | USA:R (director's cut) | Greece:K-13 | Brazil:14

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Although the weather seems very cold and dreary, the movie was shot during near-record high temperatures in Ireland. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Despite the fact that it's supposed to be winter, there are leaves on the trees. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Lancelot: [voiceover] By 300 AD, the Roman Empire extended from Arabia to Britain. But they wanted more. More land. More peoples loyal and subservient to Rome. But no people so important as the powerful Sarmatians to the east. Thousands died on that field. And when the smoke cleared on the fourth day...
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Pathfinder (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Amergin's Invocation more

FAQ

What are the differences between the Theatrical version and the Unrated Director's Cut?
more
99 out of 141 people found the following comment useful.
The realism behind the magic, 31 December 2004
7/10
Author: Kendra from New Zealand

In recent movies coming out of Hollywood there seems to be a trend towards attempting to unveil the true character behind some of history's most mysterious individuals. With most of us having been brought up on tales of a medieval King Arthur and the magic of Camelot, it was a risk for those who initiated this movie to attempt to expose the man behind the myth, so to speak. In my opinion, through a combination of realistic battle scenes, stunning cinematography and well rounded characters this movie is successful.

This tale takes us on a journey with King Arthur's knights as they embark on a final quest for Rome. The issue of religious persecution is raised on numerous occasions in the duration of this movie and relates to contemporary circumstances where religious belief can be used as a form of power and means of superiority. Themes such as this raise the film above the average Bruckheimer production. However, the dialogue is still cliché in places, and mid-battle jokes can fall flat on audiences that have grown weary of them in films such as LORD OF THE RINGS and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Fortunately, the battle scenes are realistic and don't bombard us with Jackie Chan like maneuvers that the knights have suddenly and inexplicably learned.

The movie is beautifully shot with a variety of landscapes ranging from Hadrian's Wall to icy snow-covered hills and peasant villages. This ensures that the audience always has something new to look at, but also paints a realistic picture of the poverty and harsh environment of the time.

My only complaint about this film would have to be that some of the acting and characterisation was a little disappointing. Clive Owen's 'Arthur' was a little internalised and predictable. While other characters, such as Lancelot (Ioan Gruffud), are fabulously flawed, Arthur is always thinking of others and making the right decisions. His humanity never falters. Owen delivers his lines woodenly and without the passion one wishes to see from such a great warrior and humanitarian. Whilst the writers have dared to put a different spin on the characters of Lancelot and Guinevere (Keira Knightly), they seem to have stuck with the Arthur of legend. Knightly's performance was certainly nothing special. Her role in the movie was unclear as she seemed to only be there to run around in skimpy outfits, although I'm sure the intention was to create a strong female character. I thought her survival in battle was unrealistic as she was much smaller and weaker than the thousands of large trained warriors she was fighting, particularly since she had apparently nearly starved to death after being walled up in a tomb for her Pagan beliefs. Although Knightly is beautiful, her performances in movies thus far have yet to convince me of her acting abilities.

Overall, I thought this movie was unique in that it depicted a time not often portrayed in modern cinema. It had strong themes with a good mix of humour, romance and action. Although the film had its flaws, I would definitely recommend it as I believe it would appeal to a wide audience.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for King Arthur (2004)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Was Jack Chick involved with the script? afcaetano
Unrealistic.. not just un-historical Dain120475
inaccuracies: sick of hearing / reading about them kahgehpeh
The most heroic (and human) version of Lancelot I've seen in a movie nondescript_figure
Excalibur? Bedivere476
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